2016 Kentucky Derby Under the Radar Spotlight: Matt King Coal

One of the joys of life is discovering that a horse you’ve been waiting to return, has finally made it back to the work tab. Crazy, right? But passionate fans of racing know exactly what I am talking about. As such, I was very pleased to see Sunday’s five-furlong breeze of Matt King Coal. It’s not that the 1:02.55 breeze over the Belmont Park training track was a bullet type of work, but rather it was the timing of the first workout in nearly 2 ½ months that put a smile on my face. When last seen, the son of Cool Coal Man was throwing down one of the most impressive maiden victories of 2015. After having missed some time, the Lady Sheila Stable runner is back in training at an ideal time to make a run at the 2016 Kentucky Derby. He is also back in time to be this week’s Under the Radar Spotlight horse.

I had the sincere pleasure of talking with the founder and head of Lady Sheila Stable today. Her passion for horses, and racing, all but jumped out of the phone at me, as I talked Matt King Coal and more with Sheila Rosenblum. A former model and ballet dancer, Rosenblum, along with trainer Linda Rice, has taken the industry by storm in recent years. The Lady Sheila syndicate, made up of successful female investors, may be relatively new to the game, but they already have enjoyed great success. To date, the stable is best known for La Verdad, who was recently awarded the Eclipse Award for female sprinters. With that one now retired and being bred to top sire Medaglia d’Oro, Rosenblum, Rice, and crew have no intention of slowing down in 2016. Their Hot City Girl, La Verdad’s half-sister, rates a big chance in Saturday’s $300,000 Barbara Fritchie at Laurel Park. While La Verdad, and now Hot City Girl have proven themselves as two of the fastest fillies in the land, the Lady Sheila Stable is more than just a stable of female sprinters. Rosenblum is excited about what’s down the road, including perhaps some of America’s most prestigious races.

Of course, no American horse race is held in a higher regard than the Kentucky Derby, and in Matt King Coal (Cool Coal Man—Donna Marie, by Came Home), the testosterone free syndicate could well be headed in that direction. A $250,000 OBS April sale graduate, the bay colt began his career on August 8 as many Linda Rice trainees start out -- in a turf race at Saratoga. It was a solid start to his career, but Matt King Coal’s move up the rail, which carried him to the lead at odds of 20-1, could not be sustained. He ultimately finished third in the 1 1/16-mile turf race against a field of ten.

Off that experience building debut, the good looking grandson of 2003 Horse of the Year Mineshaft moved to Belmont, and found a sloppy track for his second start on October 3. In an 8 ½ furlong race originally carded for turf, Matt King Coal was sent off at 7-2 this time, while the highly regarded Gift Box was made the 3-2 choice. Today’s Under the Radar Spotlight horse ran big in his first effort on dirt. Ridden by Jose Ortiz, as he has been in each of his three starts, he led most of the way, but was collared late by the favorite, and was nipped by a nose. If his first start was solid, this one was clearly better.

While Gift Box went off to run a good third behind Mohaymen in the Grade 2 Remsen in his next start, Matt King Coal was back in the maiden ranks one last time. The Belmont Park maiden special weight was no contest. Winning off by 5 ¾ lengths, he dominated the 12-horse field start to finish. Looking every bit the genuine article down the lane, the 2-1 shot stopped the clock in a solid time of 1:36.38 on a track labeled as good. The Beyer boys liked what they saw, giving the juvenile winner a 96 Speed Figure. By comparison, Nyquist was awarded a 89 for his win in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile two days later at Keeneland.

The early season Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct was planned to be his stakes debut according to Rosenblum, but a slight fever was enough for the team to stop on the two-year-old, who was 3-1-1-1, had improved each race, and finished the season with a flashy victory. But now he is back, and looking good. “We are so pleased with him,” said Rosenblum. “We have our eyes on a few races [the March 5 Gotham being one of them]. Rosenblum added that Mattie, as the barn calls him, is, “Everything we could hope for so far.” While the Derby is definitely a race in which she would love to participate, Rosenblum said that the horse comes first.  “If he misses that one, there is always the Preakness.” For now, though, and after Sunday’s return work, “He’s definitely heading in the right direction,” added Rosenblum about the Kentucky Derby hopeful that she calls "a little cheeky."

I loved what I saw from him in his two dirt races, and his steady progression as a juvenile. From a pedigree standpoint, the story is still a new one for the young stallion, Cool Coal Man, but his Florida-bred son has plenty of stamina influence from his grandsire, Mineshaft, and his broodmare sire, Came Home, both of whom were Grade 1 winners at ten furlongs. While he is under the radar now, I believe Matt King Coal is a colt with the potential to make sweet music on the road to the Kentucky Derby.